Calophyllum inophyllum L. Synonyms: Calophyllum bingator Roxb., Calophyllum blumei Wight Family: Clusiaceae Local name (Dhivehi): Funa English names: Alexandrian laurel, Beauty leaf, Dilo oil tree, Indian laurel, Oil-nut’Tree. Description: Trees, to 20 m tall; bark blackish-brown, deeply fissured and cracked; exudate milky-yellow. Leaves simple, opposite, 6-15x3-10.5 em, broadly elliptic oblong, base cuneate to rounded, apex rounded or retuse, slightly recurved, lateral nerves many, parallel, close, slender; petiole 10-30 mm. Racemes axillary, 5-12 cm long, 5-12 flowered. Flowers 2-2.5 cm across, white, fragrant; bracts ovate, caducous. Sepals 4, reflexed, petaloid, nerved. Petals usually 4, rarely 3 or 5, obovate to elliptic, reflexed, nerved. Stamens many, filaments connate into 4-6 bundles, cream coloured. Fruit a drupe, globose to obovoid, 2.5-5%2.5-4 cm, smooth; stone subglobose, to 2 em across. Flowering & fruiting: December ~ August Native range: Tropical Asia and the Pacific Distribution: Widely distributed and cultivated throughout the tropics from West Africa to the Pacific Islands. Occurrence in Maldives: Common in most of the islands Uses: A multipurpose tree. The wood which ishard and strongis used in construction and boat building. Neoflavonoid, a medicianally important polyphenolic compound was first isolated from the seeds of this tree. The oil extracted from the seeds is widely used as biodiesel. The seed oil is also anti- inflammatory, anti-cancerous, skin. tonic, vulnerary and a deodorant.